Early Mornings with Elli
by Lady Isludis
Summary: For those nights when you can't sleep, no matter how busy you know you are in the morning.
1. Chapter 1

Some nights it's just impossible to sleep. Either you're looking forward to tomorrow, dreading it, or perhaps your mind just doesn't want to settle down. Whatever the reason, it can really stress you out if you know you have to wake up at a certain time. Even more so when the task that needs doing is important.

Sometimes you can get lucky and not feel tired at all, provided you avoid dim lighting and Powerpoint presentations like the plague. Fortunately for her, she was neither a student nor employed in an environment where office meetings were held.

A baker's day does, however, start very early. She'd need to be alert enough to set up the shop and prepare fresh treats for the display windows. All this and some cleaning up had to be done before the shop opened for the day. When she could hear the birds chirping outside her window, she knew there'd be no rest tonight, and decided to get up early. Lying in bed until she did fall asleep might cause her to wake up at an undesireable time.

She got dressed and had tea with her breakfast. While it wasn't coffee, there was still caffeine in it, which she was definitely going to need today. The last thing she did was to don her favourite apron before heading downstairs.

The main level was reserved for the bakery itself, wheras upstairs was the apartment where she lived. What commuter wouldn't be jealous of a person who only had to walk across the road? Nevermind a single flight of stairs.

First, she had a look around, carefully scrutinizing the cleanliness of the place. If any surface needed to be dusted or cleaned, she had to do it before putting any food out, lest something be contaminated by dust, dirt, or cleaning products. She wasn't nearly that scatterbrained, but she still wouldn't have liked to take any chances.

There were a few spots on the window that needed cleaning, and she made sure to wash the counter with a damp, soapy rag. Any surface where money is handled has the potential to house all kinds of bacteria. The last thing she wanted was for a customer to spread a cold or other kind of bug. That would be invredibly bad for business.

Next came the baking.

She loved baking and decorating delicious treats and pastries of all kinds, and even when she was groggy she still enjoyed her work. All day people would come in and have their craving centers triggered by the sights and aromas. She enjoyed them herself, and at the back of her mind she knew she'd be able to eat some of the leftovers at the end of the day.

Perhaps this wasn't as healthy a diet as she'd have liked, but she probably burned it off running around the shop and keeping everything stocked. Besides, who trusts a cook that doesn't sample their own creations?

In the midst of putting a soufle in the oven, she happened to glance at the clock, which now informed her that she still had an hour until opening. She took a seat on the stool by the cash register while she waited. She'd be standing for most of the day, but that stool was a godsend when the bakery wasn't busy, allowing her to relax and ease the ache in her feet.

Her eyes felt dry and heavy, so she rubbed them. When this didn't help, she gave in and shut her eyes for just a moment.

When she came to again, the oven timer was buzzing loudly.

″THE SOUFLE!″

She immediately jumped up and bolted into the kitchen, hoping to rescue the delicate puff pastry from certain doom. Fortunately she did save it, but it was still a little burnt in places. She'd almost burnt herself in the process.

That would've been really bad for business.

″At least it didn't-″

*KNOCK KNOCK*

*POP*

And in one fell blow, the mighty delicacy was reduced to a lump of deflated puff pastry. She couldn't hide her disappointment when she went to see who was knocking at her window.

″Elli?″Came a familiar voice.

″Jack!″She exclaimed.

″I came by and heard a commotion inside, everything alright?″It was then he noticed the deceased pastry she was carrying. ″That was me... wasn't it?″

″Well you helped, but I burnt it first.″She said flatly. Her normally cheerful demeanor had given way to sarcasm.

″Ah...″He stifled a giggle. ″Elli?″

″Yes?″What could be so funny?

″It's your day off isn't it?.″


	2. Chapter 2

The funny thing about waking up sleepy, sometimes you just wake up on the wrong day. While she was annoyed at him for laughing at her predicament, she was more preoccupied with what she was going to do with all of the fresh baked goods.

"I could help you with that." Jack started to dig around in his pocket.

Elli let out an exasperated sigh.

"It's not that..."

"Hmm?"

"I didn't actually manage to make that much today, I could keep some of the bread for myself, but..." She motioned towards the display window, where a rather majestic looking 3 tiered cake was standing proudly.

"What am I going to do with this wedding cake?"

Jack started to laugh again.

"What's so funny this time?" She said crossly, both hands on her hips.

Without warning, he leaned in and kissed her right on the lips. Almost right away her cheeks felt hot, and she was sure she must be blushing.

"That's easy!" Jack pulled something out of his pocket.

At first Elli didn't know what to make of the small box, then her eyes widened when she got a glimpse of it's shimmering contents.

"Let's get married!"


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, she woke and went about her routine as normal. While she still felt a little groggy, she was sure it would go away after she had her tea. Now that she was able to focus on the task at hand, her daily pastry production returned to a relatively normal pace, albeit her thoughts still drifted to Jack every once in a while.

It wasn't long before the bakery began to fill with the all too familiar scent of hot, fresh baked goods. She could swear that the aroma made the atmosphere more pleasant somehow, and her customers even seemed to lighten up when they came inside. Sometimes the smell was overpowering for her, which was when she liked to take walks.

When the shop had closed for the day, she might go shopping in town, or visit her grandmother. Ellen was always glad to see her grandchild, as most grandparents are. Later today Elli would have a particularly big announcement for her.

While she knew that Ellen didn't mind Jack being around, she still wondered what the elderly woman's reaction might be.

She sighed.

″I'll just have to find out the hard way.″

She shook it off and went back to work.

Despite yesterday's small fiasco, Elli wasn't about to be defeated by a mere soufle. All of the ingredients were gathered and ready, including some that came fresh from Jack's ranch.

Making soufle is a tricky business, as the pastries are rather infamous for their intolerance of loud noises and, pretty much anything. Elli however was able to make them with relative ease.

It took great patience and alot of work to get it right, and no doubt a few pastries had flattened in the process. Not that she'd give in when that happened, she'd only keep trying until one of them survived.

When the mixture was ready to be baked, she carefully slid the baking pan into the oven. Now came the hard part. There were still cookies left to cook, cakes left to bake, and pastries left to prepare! There was plenty to keep her busy, but she had to be careful not to disturb the soufle.

First things first, she needed some cookies for the display window. Usually she tried to make as many different kinds as she could, starting with chocolate chip, or maybe gingerbread. Then there were the soft and chewy oatmeal raisins, followed by the crunchy peanut butter cookies that had a tendency to crumble if you weren't careful. Chocolate cookies with white chocolate chips were a big trend now, especially with the kids. Meanwhile some of the adults liked the ones with macadamias, so rich you could usually only eat one without starting to feel sick.

Along with cakes, Elli made sure to make cupcakes. There were a couple of display stands that allowed them to be stacked so as not to ruin the decorative icing. With all the time and effort spent on the swirls and sprinkles, that'd be a real shame. Especially given the many different colours the icing came in.

For the customers with the biggest sweet tooth, there was fudge. Elli had to have a strong to whip the mixture in order to prevent it from separating. Ellen had once been able to do this, only over time that strength had diminished, and her fudge started to come out more like maple sugar treats than creamy fudge. Elli didn't mind it that way, as it still tasted the same. Only the texture was different.

The good thing about fudge is that you can make it in many different flavours besides chocolate. Elli was able to pull off even the swirling marble mixtures seen at craft shows, flea markets and tourist stops. Those kinds of bakers offer flavours like rocky road or perhaps a mix of peanut butter and chocolate.

By now the bakery was really starting to smell good. Just then, the bells by the door chimed, indicating the presence of a customer.

Elli poked her head out from the kitchen to see who it was. At first she didn't recognize the person, then she recalled the name that went with that bright red hair.

Nami, from what she'd heard, was staying at the inn. She was probably a bit younger than Elli, which suggested that she must be striking out on her own in life.

″Can I help you with anything?″Nami jumped.

″Just a gingerbread cookie please.″ She gestured towards the tray of fresh cookies in the display window beside the counter.

Elli quickly retrieved a cookie and put it in a brown paper bag while Nami dug in her pocket for change.

″Pardon me for saying so but have we met?″Elli inquired. Nami only shrugged.

″Don't think so.″She handed the money to Elli and thanked her for the cookie. She left before receiving her change.

Elli was puzzled, but went back to work, making sure to wash her hands after handling the money.

With cookies, cupcakes and fudge done, she moved up to the main attraction. What's a bakery without half a dozen cakes on display in the windows or on the counters? Whether you can afford them or not, people will visit a bakery just to get a look at the different kinds of cakes. Though some spoil faster than others, which was where the cooled display helped.

Cheesecake and fruit tarts were the sort of things that really needed to be kept cool to ensure that they stayed fresh. She also liked to store the cream puffs and eclairs there. Unlike a standard refridgerator it didn't seem to make the pastries soggy from having to thaw out. Soggy pastries are probably about as professional ad a freshly flattened soufle. IT might not upset customers that much but all the same you probably would rather avoid it.

A couple more people entered the bakery that day. Barley was looking for a birthday cake for May, and was kind enough to extend a party invitation to Stu. Elli told him he'd be delighted, and would let him know when he stopped by. Stu liked visiting the bakery, particularly at lunch. That was when Elli closed up for an hour to eat, and he knew as well as she did that there'd alwas de dessert. She'd probably have to take him shopping for a gift later.

Popuri wandered in and ordered a couple of chocolate eclairs. That girl had such a sweet tooth that at times Elli wondered how she didn't bust her corset! The thought was amusing, to say the least. Anne was almost the same way. Fortunately she was more active than Popuri from working at the inn, but she'd given herself a stomach ache on a number of occasions. It made Elli feel bad when her sweets made people sick like that.

When the sun began to set, Elli said goodbye to the last customer and started to close up shop. Sales had been good today, and she was pleased. The more she sold, the less she had to throw away, and today there was just enough left for after dinner.

″Elli!″

Jack managed to catch her before she locked the front door. This time however, she'd been expecting him.


	4. Chapter 4

She could hear something...

Breathing.

Too relaxed to pay much mind, she turned over and got comfortable.

Not much was on her mind right now, other than that light, happy feeling you get when you know you've got no obligations to fulfil. She smiled. Complete contentment.

It had been a while since she'd allowed herself to let her guard down like this, to truly relax. Those days where you don't have to be anywhere, when you're certain a delightful rest awaits you, she wasn't sure when she'd been lucky enough to have one last. Probably not since she was a young child.

That sound again.

She ignored it.

As we get older, it always seems like we're tired, or just didn't get enough rest. Probably due to all of the worrying and calculating our next move. Even if we need fewer hours physically, constant mental strain would have us believe otherwise.

When your job requires you to constantly have work on the brain, it's going to wear on you a little, like it wore on her.

Even if she'd never admit it.

That sound.

It was beginning to disturb her.

So on those rare days, when it seems we have no more cares, our mind is finally at ease. We are finally allowed to be content. To be happy.

Something rustled in the darkness.

Was that, breathing?

Elli's eyes fluttered open, getting a first glimpse of the early morning darkness. The sun had yet to have thoughts of going up.

Do you know why we can see colours?

Because everything reflects light. When the colours match, they reflect back to our eyes. When they don't match, or there is little light to be had, colours are all absorbed.

As a result of this, the inside of her poorly lit room appeared to be washed in shades of grey.

Something stirred again.

Whatever it was, it was hogging the blankets.

Still a tad drowsy, Elli sighed, and pulled as much of her quilt as she could. She lay awake for a while longer, watching the room brighten, and little by little, it was bathed in light. By the time she thought she could see a hint of colour, she fell back to sleep.

"Good morning sleepyhead."

This time, when she opened her eyes her room was bathed in the warm colours of daylight, with golden rays shining through her windows.

And then there was Jack?

"Did you sleep well?" Elli half asked, half yawned. "Because you kept stealing all the blankets."

"Oh." Jack blushed. "Sorry."

Elli stuck her tongue out at him.

"What time is it?" Now it was his turn to yawn. Elli groaned in protest as she rolled over and reached for her alarm clock.

"9:45." She yawned again.

"Shit!" Jack hissed as he leapt from the bed, stumbling on some of the sheets in the process. "I was supposed to start work by now... Takakura's gonna be pissed."

"What?" Elli shrugged. "It's not my day off either."

Jack shot her a disapproving look. He was going to be in enough trouble as is. Sure he was kind enough to help out on the farm, but at times Takakura could be a real taskmaster!

He sighed.

"Alright."

He got back into bed, and the two of them slept for the remainder of the afternoon.

The sun was about ready to set when Jack crept back to the farm, hoping to make it to the farmhouse before he was noticed by Takakura. With any luck he wouldn't wake the dog, who would surely pick up Elli's scent and wish to investigate.

It was oddly quiet for this time of day, he'd expected the cows to be fussy from not being milked. Yet there was no noise coming from the barn, not evven the henhouse. Could it be that they'd all gone to sleep?

"You didn't come back last night." Came a gruff, raspy voice.

Jack sighed in defeat. He couldn't think of anything to say that'd get him out've this one...

"Come." Takakura gestured towards his cabin. "We need to have a little talk."


	5. Chapter 5

Takakura wasn't that big of a guy. If he had been once, age and whatever lifestyle changes he'd made along the way had reduced that image to mere memory. Yet there's just something about seemingly fragile old men with stoney, unreadable faces and watchful glares. You can never be sure, but you always think they might be sizing you up.

Jack could've sworn the old man was capable of drilling into his very soul, and it gave him the chills just thinking about it. He kept his head slightly bowed and tried to avoid direct eye contact.

"Well?" Takakura finally broke the silence. Jack felt his mouth go dry.

The two of them sat at Jack's (small) dining table. Takakura was situated nearest the outside wall, and Jack with his back to the front door. Had Jack wanted to flee, his way was unobstructed, but he didn't know how quickly he could (or would) be overtaken.

Jack panicked, unsure of what to say. Should he tell Takakura the whole story? He knew that a response was expected of him, and soon, but he didn't want to say something to make the situation worse.

On the one hand, he had the honest answer. He'd been with Elli the entire time. He'd even spent the night with her.

Then he realised...

While he was engaged, spending the night in the bed of a woman who is NOT your spouse might be considered scandalous (intimate or no). Especially in a small town where news travelled fast!

Yeah that'd definately make it worse.

He felt lightheaded all of a sudden, struck by the weight of the situation. How stupid could he be?

But he couldn't lie, could he? No! He was a terrible liar! Takakura would surely be angry then.

"Speak up!"

"I-I'm sorry." Jack stammered, his voice quiet and shaky. "I-I was with a friend a-and..." He trailed off.

Well, it wasn't a lie...

"I see..." Takakura broke the silence. For a moment, he appeared to be deep in thought. That couldn't be good...

"Leave a note next time."

"H-huh?"

"Leave a note with a list of work to be done." Takakura explained. "We've got livestock to look after."

That... That was it?

"Get a good night's sleep." The old man huffed as he made his way for the door. "Early day tomorrow."

While he couldn't be certain, it seemed that Takakura wasn't interested in the details. If he knew or even suspected something, he wasn't going to say.

Still sliightly dazed from the horrifying experience, Jack began to relax and unclench his now moist palms.

"I'm going to bed."


	6. Chapter 6

The exact formula for a dream is, despite theories of the brain sorting itself out or some mystical connection to an omnipresent subconsious, a complete mystery. Maybe she'd just had alot on her mind. That must be it.

Still, a muddle of confusing images had managed to terrify Elli. She hadn't even been able to fully recall the dream, what she _could_ remember left her horribly uneasy.

She'd been standing before the altar with Jack, and they were ready to exchange vows. Her lips formed the syllables of 'I do' but somehow the air from her lungs failed to brush her vocal chords, resulting only in a wheeze.

Before she could react, Jack had gone from the altar. He was walking towards the open church doors, as one by one the lights went out behind him. Then she was alone with the darkness.

"But why would I dream about that?"

She knew that Jack wasn't the type to turn and just walk away from her. From the time he'd arrived, he'd demonstrated nothing but perserverance and commitment, even when things started to look a little hopeless.

So why wasn't the feeling in her gut going away?


End file.
